Oh The River (It's Running Free)
by NationWide33
Summary: Meredith and Addison are hiding a secret relationship, and Cristina finds out.


It's way too early in the morning when Cristina sees it.

They're in the locker room, which is empty save for the two of them, who are early. Cristina is always early, and Meredith came from Addison's, who most definitely not a morning person, but Meredith had dragged her out of bed, quite literally, and then they'd driven seperate cars to work and arrived exactly five minutes apart, just in case.

Meredith is running on the cup of coffee Addison had made for her before they left, that she'd downed in three long sips and left the mug in her car. She's exhausted.

Now she's here, in the locker room with her best friend, changing into her scrubs. Cristina keeps shooting her weird glances and looking at her neck, where a small chain hangs, catching on her collarbone and hidden under her long-sleeved shirt.

Meredith pretends she doesn't know her friend is looking, until eventually: "Hey, what's that?"

Meredith yanks the blue shirt over her head atop her other shirt, and glances over at Cristina, who has stopped changing and is blatantly staring at Meredith's necklace. Meredith hadn't expected anyone to notice so quickly.

"What's what?" Meredith asks, feigning ignorance. Cristina rolls her eyes, shimmying into her own scrubs and tying the waistband.

"Your necklace, Grey," She says like it's obvious. "I've never seen you wear jewelry before."

"It's just a necklace," Meredith lies. She pushes the chain further beneath her shirt and turns away from Cristina, who is still looking at her curiously.

"Does this have anything to do with what you've been hiding from me?"

Well fuck, Meredith thinks. Outside, she barely masks her surprise. She should've guessed that Cristina would know something was up.

"I haven't been hiding anything," Meredith lies. Cristina scoffs.

"Oh come on, Meredith Grey. According to our dearest friend George, you hardly spend any time in your own home anymore, which he naturally thinks nothing of because he's dense -"

"- No he isn't."

"Whatever. My point is that he claims you don't even sleep there most nights anymore. Not to mention half your closet is missing and you've not ranted to me about Derek in actual months, which is really unlike you. I thought at first you were dating someone, but I thought you would've told me by now, but you're still lying to me. So please, Meredith, tell me."

Cristina sounds, almost, hurt. Which is very unlike her. Meredith knows that Cristina feels emotions, but she pushes them down so hard that she doesn't even think she feels them.

(And neither does anyone else, but that's not the point.)

Meredith pauses. She hates this.

"Cristina…"

The door swings open. Meredith doesn't move. She looks at the floor; Cristina is looking at her, but she glances over Meredith's shoulder and Meredith looks up to see an irritated look in Cristina's eye. Which is not unlike her.

"Meredith? Bailey's assigned you to help me with a few surgeries today."

Addison's silky voice washes over Meredith, who turns to smile at the redhead as she rolls her sleeves up.

"Alright, just a moment, Addison," Meredith replies, grabbing a pair of sneakers from her locker. Cristina raises an eyebrow.

"Since when are you guys on a first name basis? Don't you hate each other?" She asks.

Meredith pauses. She really hates lying to her best friend, but she isn't supposed to tell anyone . The chief made them promise. The hospital is full of rules, and if that isn't bad enough, there are plenty of homophobic doctors and patients and then there's Derek.

Fucking Derek, who is still giving them both the cold shoulder even after almost a year after the divorce and then being turned down by her. She isn't upset with him, she doesn't really care about him at all anymore. He's been an ass since she turned him down, since he called her a whore.

"So, your secret. You know me, and I will find out. We don't lie to each other, Mere. I've never read it, but I'm pretty sure that's in the best friend rulebook, or whatever."

"Since when do you follow the rules?" Meredith snorts. Cristina glares halfheartedly.

Addison is still standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame. She pauses; she knows how hard it is for Meredith to lie to her best friend.

"Tell her," Addison says. Cristina widens her eyes, shooting Meredith a real glare.

"You told Satan before you told me?"

"Don't call her that," Meredith mutters.

"Yes, I am standing right here," Addison says, looking amused.

Addison walks towards the pair, her signature black heels clicking against the floor. She stops beside Meredith, and places a hand on her arm. Cristina's gaze zeros in on a action.

"Just tell her," Addison murmurs. Meredith looks over at her, taking in the gentle look on Addison's face, and the reassuring smile.

"Are you sure?" Meredith asks, and Addison dips her head in a small nod.

Cristina's gaze shoots between them like she's watching a tennis match.

"Tell me what?" She asks.

"You should probably sit down for this," Meredith says, pulling Addison down by the arm onto one of the benches. Slowly, Cristina sits across from them, looking very confused.

"I should mention, you're really freaking me out," Cristina says. "Are you dying of some weird ovarian cancer, because that is the only excuse you could possibly have for telling her before me."

Meredith smiles faintly, sighs, and closes her eyes. She takes a deep breath and Addison squeezes her arm, and eyes still closed, she tells Cristina the secret she's been keeping well hidden for almost seven months.

"I'm dating Addison."

There's a long uncomfortable pause.

"I'm sorry, I must be hallucinating, because I could've sworn you just said you're dating Addison fucking Montgomery. That's literally ridiculously absurd."

"You aren't hallucinating, Dr. Yang -"

"- I think you can call me Cristina now."

"Alright, Cristina, I assure you, Meredith is being completely serious."

Cristina looks dumbfounded and confused, which isn't a look Meredith has ever seen on her before.

"You're serious. You, Meredith Grey, are not only dating a woman, which is weird because you are single-handedly the most heterosexual person I've ever known, but said woman is actually, seriously, Addison Montgomery, the ex wife of your ex boyfriend."

"You can stop using my full name," Addison smirks, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

"Right, whatever," Cristina mutters. "This is for real?"

"Yes, very much real," Meredith says, sliding her arm up so Addison is holding her hand instead of her arm. Cristina is too dumbfounded to notice.

"This is weird," She declares. "Super weird, but not bad? Just weird."

Addison laughs, and Meredith grins at her girlfriend and best friend.

"Why didn't you tell me? I would've been totally weirded out, like I am now, but I will always support you, Meredith," Cristina says.

"We were sworn to secrecy by the chief," Addison explains. "It was nothing personal. In fact, Meredith complains a lot about not being able to tell you. And George. And Izzie. And even Alex, for some reason."

"Oh, okay. I think I'm going into shock, though."


End file.
